Brief Description: Sophie’s is a family-owned and operated restaurant with hearty and satisfying food. A very popular Kitsilano brunch spot so expect to wait on weekends.

I couldn’t possibly write about the Vancouver restaurant scene without mentioning the extremely popular Sophie’s Cosmic Café, now could I? Funnily enough, even though I have lived in Vancouver for over 2 years I’ve only just made it to Sophie’s for the first time in the last few months – the long queue has always deterred me.

Fun and quirky appear to be the theme of Sophie’s décor. The walls are painted in bright, happy colours and are covered with a plethora of memorabilia, like records and trinkets. There is a definite diner feel to Sophie’s and basically, I am a bit of a sucker for diners. Yes, some might say they are tacky but I’ve always thought that they were fun and they make you feel like you’ve walked on to the set of Grease!

Considering that on weekends the line-up for Sophie’s usually extends down the street, I was more than prepared to wait for my brunch. Thankfully, both times that I have visited I have not had to wait long at all. In fact, the last time I was there we were ushered from the back of the line straight to a table (because we were a table for two). So, let that be noted: don’t be put off by the long queue. It does seem to move fairly quickly.

After my experience at Slickety Jim’s, I was wary of trying anywhere for brunch where people had primed their referral with “It’s a long wait but the food is good…” Thankfully, I am pleasantly surprised with Sophie’s. The menu is extensive and covers all of the essentials. Basically, there is something for everyone; pancakes, waffles, omelette’s, granola, and variations of the “All American Breakfast”. The service was good, the atmosphere was fun and the prices were fair. I wouldn’t rave about the breakfast food – it is what it is. Simple and hearty, with a lot to choose from.

I was more impressed with the food on my first visit to Sophie’s than on my second visit. On the second visit, I had ordered the Lumberjack’s Breakfast (I think) but I found the eggs to be boring, the bacon wasn’t great and the pancakes tasted doughy. My sister had joined me for her first Sophie’s experience and she agreed with me so, unfortunately, we left underwhelmed. Perhaps it was just a bad day in the kitchen as the first time I went I thought that the food was decent, although not overly special.

Final Thoughts: For brunch, Sophie’s did deliver on a filling breakfast. It didn’t go above-and-beyond my expectations, but I am realistic – this is just brunch after all. If the queue wasn’t too long, I would make a repeat visit to Sophie’s to try a few other things on their menu as I’ve heard good things about their burgers, fries and shakes. Perhaps third time lucky?